Multi-product carton with product-retaining feature



Dc. '10, 1968 D. R. KUEHL ETAL MULTI-PRODUCT CARTON WITH PRODUCT-RETAINING FEATURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 2. 1968 INVENTORS Dona/0' R Kueh/ Clifford 6. Pefers 5 51., 9 %7% ATTORNEYS Dec. 10, 1968 D. R. KUEHL ET AL MULTIPRODUCT CARTON WITH PRODUCT-RETAINING FEATURE Filed Jan. 2, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvsmoxs Dona/dR Kqeh/ CliffardGPe/ers 67;- fizdaaoo P62434 9. W

ATTORNEYS United States Patent MULTI-PRODUCT CARTON WITH PRODUCT- RETA-INING FEATURE Donald R. Kuehl, Menasha, and Clifford G. Peters, Appleton, Wis., assignors to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Jan. 2, 1968, Ser. No. 695,193 Claims. (Cl. 206-47) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An edge-wedge nesting foldable carton blank having means for retaining a rigid product container in predetermined position when formed into a package composed of the carton, a container of product, and a flexible pouch of product packed side-by-side within the carton. In particular, the carton is provided with car portions which engage means such as can chimes to prevent the can from moving about within the carton to damage either the soft pouch or its contents, without usage of adhesive or auxiliary internal compartments or partitions.

Background of the invention This invention pertains to nesting foldable carton blanks and to packages assembled from such blanks. In particular this invention pertains to a package comprising a relatively rigid product container and a soft flexible pouchlike container of product arranged side-by-side in a carton and to a carton blank from which said carton can be assembled. The carton is designed to positively restrain the can against movement of the can within the package to the possible damage of the soft flexible container or its contents, or to possible carton closure rupture.

It is known to produce a package for containing both a physically strong container such as a metal can and a relatively weak or flexible container such as a paper or foil pouch. The difiicutly with such packages has been that the strong container has a tendency to move about within the package during handling, resulting in deforming or otherwise damaging the weak flexible container or its contents. Attempts have been made to secure the strong container against motion within the package by gluing it by means of adhesive to the surrounding carton. This has the disadvantages of making the removal of that container from the carton diflicult, as well as leaving unsightly torn portions of the carton stuck to that container.

Similarly, dividing or compartmenting auxiliary panels have been incorporated into such packages, which however results in fabrication and filling problems as well as additional expense. It is therefore highly desirable and advantageous to produce a package eliminating the aforementioned difliculties as Well as provide a carton blank therefor which can be economically die stamped from carton board stock to minimize the amount of wastage and unusuable scrap material.

Brief summary of the invention These problems are solved by providing a novel nesting foldable carton blank, and by producing a novel package from such a blank. In particular a carton blank is provided having a panel with end flaps having ear portions that can be folded into positive locking engagement with the chimes on the end closures of the can of product. A package is then produced using a carton, folded from the carton blank, which securely fixes the can of product adjacent one of its panels, and which carries adjacent the can the soft flexible container of product. The carton blank is designed with certain of its portions ice being shaped in the reverse image of certain of its other portions so as to permit edge-to-edge nesting of a plurality of such blanks, and thus minimize waste in their manu facture. In like manner, no can-retaining adhesive or interconnected auxiliary panels are required.

Detailed description FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the package of this invention including a can and a soft flexible container in side-by-side relationship within a carton constructed from a carton blank of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of part of the package of FIG. 1 shown partly in cross section;

FIG. 3 is a top view of one carton blank of this invention and of parts of two others: in nested relation thereto;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a carton blank of this invention, partly erected into a carton.

The package 10 of this invention is shown assembled, but with the closure flaps opened in FIG. 1. A can C of product and a soft flexible container P of product are packed side-by-side within an erected carton 12. Can C is retained securely at one end of carton 4 by means of a novel feature of this invention to prevent shifting motion within carton 12 and causing damage to soft flexible container P or to the contents thereof, such as noodles, spaghetti, etc.

The carton 12 of this invention is formed from a flat blank as seen in FIG. 3, the carton being shown partly erected in FIG. 4. The carton blank includes a central rectangular panel 16, four rectangular Wall panels 18, 22, 20, 24 hinged thereto by score lines 26, and generally triangular inner closure and outer closure flaps 28, 30, 32 and 34 respectively, each closure flap being hinged to its adjacent Wall flap by a score line 36. The carton, thus far set forth, is generally of the type shown in US. Patent 2,852,133 to J. H. Bonini et al.., for example.

According to the present invention, composite end flaps 38 are hinged to wall panel 24, each composite flap comprising a rectangular portion 40, adjacent wall panel 24 and an ear portion 42 is hinged to rectangular portions 40 at weakened lines 44. Ear portions 42 have a curved, preferably semi-circular periphery 43 for chime-engaging purposes as pointed out more fully hereinafter. The effective width of ear portions 42 and defined by peripheral edge 43 is slightly less than the effective height of wall panel 24. Lines 44 are sufliciently weakened, as by a slitscore sequence to permit reverse folding of ear 42 as set forth hereinafter.

End flaps 46 are hinged to wall panel 20. Flaps 46 have a peripheral portion 48 of complementary configuration to that of ear portions 42 to facilitate economical edge-to-edge nesting of a plurality of carton blanks as seen in FIG. 3, thereby minimizing wastage in the production of blanks from carton stock in greater width sheets or continuous webs.

A novel feature of the carton blank of this invention is its ability when erected and assembled into a package to fixedly retain a can C of product against sliding or shifting movement even though the can occupies only a fraction of the carton space. To this end, ear portions 42 of composite flaps 38 are folded inwardly substantially through 180 as seen in FIG. 2 to overlie flap portions 40 and have their arcuate edges 43 directed toward and closely adjacent wall panel 24. In this position ear portions resiliently engage end closures 50 of can C adjacent the countersink wall within the end seam chimes 52.

It will be seen from this construction that the container C is not only securely held in position, but is readily associated with the retaining ears 42 in packing the carton by a mere lateral movement (right to the left in FIG. 2) of the container, the ears 42 flexing outwardly as chime 52 moves therepa'st and thereafter the ear portions springing inwardly by the inherent resilience of the carton stock to bear against the closure end wall and its adjacent countersink wall. Thus, the rigid container C is retained to one side of the carton-product-receiving space against shifting movement therein.

Further, the container lies normally closely adjacent end wall 24 and is also normally of a height only slightly less than the width of the carton between ears 42, whereby very little play is permitted the container, thereby preventing any lateral or tilting dislodgement from its retained position.

The novel utility of the instant construction is manifest when, for example, the container C is a metal can of a liquid sauce, such as soy sauce, and the easy-open tearable pouch P contains an easily fractured product such as dry noodles. Regardless of rough handling of the package during shipping or by the consumer, the can C will not shift within the package to either crush the desired noodle lengths, nor will the can be able to develop any momentum forces which would accidently open or rupture the carton closure.

The final closure of the packed carton maybe achieved in various ways known in the art. In the illustrated carton, inner closure flaps 32, 34 are provided with weakened tear areas 60 and in like manner outer flap 36 has a tearable tip 62 defined by a cut-score which underlies the lift and pull tab 64 of outermost flap 28. Suitable adhesive bonding is provided along and upon these weakened areas, whereby the carton flaps are securely retained in closed position but the carton may be easily opened by pulling tab 64 upwardly and outwardly.

A novel container blank and a novel package have been disclosed. The blank nests to minimize Waste in its manufacture. The package securely fixes its contained can against movement to prevent deformation or damage to its contained soft flexible container, without the use of adhesives. The overall rigidity of the package has also been improved.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a carton folded from a blank and a m-ulti-cornponent product contained therein,

said carton defining an unobstructed product-receiving space therewithin and having a pair of spaced container-retaining ears at one side thereof,

a rigid product container having end chimes thereon respectively engaged with said ears thereby to retain said container at one side of said space,

and a damage-susceptible product container disposed in said space adjacent said retained rigid container,

thereby to provide a merchantable package subject to normal handling without damage to said last named container by shifting movement of said rigid container within the carton.

2. The package of claim 1 wherein said damagesusceptible container comprises a pouch formed from flexible material.

3. The package of claim 2 wherein said pouch contains an easily fractured food product.

4. The package of claim 1 wherein said ears comprise reversely folded terminal portions of inwardly extending carton flaps.

5. The package of claim 4 wherein said flaps are integrally formed at opposite ends of one wall of said carton, and,

each said flap respectively overlies and is reinforced by an adjacent carton wall.

6. A blank erectible into a carton for receiving and retaining a chimed container in fixed position therewith, comprising:

a plurality of connected foldable panels defining bottom, side, end, and top walls of a carton having an interior product-receiving space when said panels are folded to carton form,

one wall-defining panel of said blank having a single pair of ear flaps connected thereto at opposite end thereof by fold lines and foldable thereon to dispose said ears within said space,

said ear flaps having further fold lines thereon about which the free ends of said ear flaps are reversely foldaole towards said one wall-defining panel in closely spaced relation thereto upon carton erection,

thereby to engage and hold a chimed container in fixed position within said product-receiving space adjacent one side thereof when assembled therewith.

7. The carton blank of claim 6 wherein said ear flaps are respectively disposed adjacent other wall-defining panels, said other panels having fold lines so as to define said space when folded thereon, and causing said other panels to lie in planar reenforcing relationship to said ear flaps.

8. The carton blank of claim 6 wherein said free ends have a predetermined chime-engaging configuration, and wherein also said blank has a further wall-defining panel opposite said one wall-defining panel when said carton is erected, said second wall having a pair of flaps at opposite ends thereof having configurations complementary to those of said ear flaps.

9. The carton blank of claim 8 wherein said complementary flap pair and said ear flap pair lie in respectively nested relation in adjacent blanks as severed from a sheet, thereby to minimize wastage.

It). The carton blank of claim 6 wherein said ear flap fold lines comprise slit-and-score sequences to permit ready reverse folding thereof.

References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS JAMES B. MARBERT, Primary Examiner. 

